Young Mountian
Reviewed by:
Mahntra, on july 20, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sound: In the tradition of bands such as explosions in the sky, mogwai, and mono, This Will Destroy You is a four piece instrumental band from Texas, relying on two guitars, a bass, drums, and piano/keyboard to create their sound. Much of their sound is derived from the bands I mentioned above, clean, shimmering guitars and moody melodies that guide the songs and create an atmospheric musical effect. This is a relatively short album, six songs spanning only 36 minutes, which certianly isn't a bad thing, but does leave you wanting a little more at the end of it. Young Mountain employs tracks that range from 2 minutes to 8, the best somewhere inbetween. They are unlike the other bands I mentioned however, in that they don't require 10 plus minutes to create tension and energy in a song. In that however, it never feels like the band ever lets loose and lets the music spin into chaos, and this abscence of intensity is somewhat of a letdown. With the exception of the closer, "There Are Some Remedies Worse Than The Disease", none of the songs ever really reach a powerful climax, but instead flow and ebb until they end. It is a technique that the band does well, however this unchanging pace can make some of the songs a little redundant, for example "Happiness: We're All In It Together", which runs on about 4 minutes too long, and never really changes direction for the entire 8 minute span.
But most of the time it works, my favorite example being the opener, "Quiet". It is a beautiful song, narrated by a simple chord progression played on a piano, with drums and guitars slowly filing in, until everything is moving and the song caves in on itself and fades into the next. It's a wonderful song, one of the best on the album. They don't really use a formula for the songs, just start with a simple movement or progression and let the songs naturally flow until they close. It's a very organic, very natural feeling which works very well with this type of music. // 8

Lyrics: Being an instrumental band, there are obviously no lyrics. As in most instrumental bands, I don't know where you would put lyrics, as the songs are complete enough as they are. At best, you could consider the leads as vocal parts, as they are quite vocal, and many just as appealing as listening to singing. // 7

Overall Impression: I would reccomend this album to anyone who enjoys instrumental music, it is a nice little piece from a band that I believe will be offering us much more in the future. Chances are you'll have to order it online or through itunes however, like I did, seeing as Magic Bullet records isn't exactly a major distribution label. (They do have some other great bands on their lineup however, such as Sparrows Swarm and Sing, with their delightfully titled "O Shenendoah, Mighty Death Will Find Me"). But it's worth listening to, and it's worth going the extra effort to find. Once again, I am only dissapointed by the brevity of this album, and we can only look forward to what this band is sure to bring us in the future. I feel that they could accomplish much more with a full length, but this is a great listen by an up and coming band. // 7

Excellent review, thanks. This was a pretty impressive first release, considering how basic some rookie albums (like How Strange, Innocence) were. These guys get better and better with each offering. Great to listen to how they progress with each album. Their new album "Tunnel Blanket" is set to drop later this year which should help further solidify TWDY as a mainstay post-rock offering.